The Institute for Data Science

About

Data science is the centerpiece of the University of Rochester's five-year strategic plan. Rochester researchers plan to continue to harness the potential of data in ways that will transform the 21st century and place the University as a leader in the field.

The University has committed $50 million—in addition to more than $50 million it has invested in recent years—to greatly expand its work in this burgeoning field of Big Data.

This commitment includes the creation of the Institute for Data Science. It also includes the construction of a state-of-the-art building that will house the institute, the Department of Computer Science, and other academic areas. In recognition of support for the institute from the Wegman Family Charitable Foundation, the new building will bear the Wegman name.

The University is also committed to hiring new faculty in areas in which data science plays a critical role, including (but not limited to) bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, brain and cognitive science, business and economics, computer science, physics, mathematics and statistics, and political science. In the past year alone, the University added 14 new faculty members who work in data science.

A New Campus Landmark

The building will extend the collegiate character of the River Campus’s Eastman Quad to a new area on campus and will unify the building styles on the River Campus. It will also create a new distinctive space where someone can walk in any direction and engage with faculty members in medicine, the humanities, education, and business.

As the hub for data science–related programs, the building will further enrich the collaborative environment for which Rochester is well known. It will become the anchor of the new Science and Engineering Quad on the River Campus (the University’s main campus). It will provide much-needed space for collaborative research, conferences and workshops, and special events and will be the catalyst for reconfiguration and renovation of research and lab spaces across campus.

Building Plans

Working with Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd. (KVA), the University is finalizing building plans. Here are some highlights:

The new 58,000-gross-square feet, four-story building will be LEED Certified with a goal of LEED Silver;

It will feature a contemporary design that includes transparent glass, cast stone, and red brick;

A bridge will link the building to the University’s Hopeman Building and will also lead into an innovative, two-story collaborative space;

The design features offices and state-of- the-art labs that are punctuated by collaboration zones, shared lounges, and overlooks;

The new building’s west façade and entry addresses Wilson Boulevard and the Genesee River, providing a new public face to the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences and the new Science and Engineering Quad; and

A courtyard behind the building will create a new public space between the new Science and Engineering Quad and the existing Eastman Quad.

Construction of a state-of-the-art home for the Institute for Data Science is slated to begin in the summer of 2015, with a building dedication planned for fall 2016 and full occupancy by winter 2017.

Leadership

Creating Jobs

A 2014 report by the Center for Governmental Research shows that the University of Rochester is either directly or indirectly responsible for supporting an estimated 50,300 jobs in the region. The report also finds that the new Institute for Data Science will create 460 jobs and generate an estimated $530 million in research funding over a ten-year period.